Cauliflower, ripe for the freezing – Image by greyman
Cauliflower is such a creamy, sweet, delicious vegetable – my family loves it all the time, but it’s only in season for a short while each year. If you’re like me, you want cauliflower year-round, without paying ridiculous prices for out-of-season veggies, then read on – all you’ll have to do is stock up in advance!
My favorite way to store cauliflower on a long-term basis is to freeze it. Frozen cauliflower keeps for months, so if you get a hankering for cauliflower soup, steamed cauliflower (I’m salivating!!), or mashed cauliflower (see the end of this post) in the middle of winter when nothing is growing, all you have to do is grab a bag of cauliflower out of the freezer to brighten up your day!
How to Pick out Your Cauliflower
There are only a few simple tips which you need to remember:
- Always look for perfectly white cauliflower – brown or other discoloration is a sign of damage – maybe that bugs have been at the veggies. Yuck. Now, unless you’re interested in eating something which a bug has already crawled on and nibbled, I suggest avoiding brown-splotched cauliflower.
- Also avoid brownish or slimy-looking leaves. You aren’t going to eat the leaves, but brown, icky, slimy leaves mean that that head of cauliflower is old enough to have started rotting. Again, Yuck!
Overall, look for nice white heads of cauliflower with fresh, green leaves.
Prune and Wash Your Head(s) of Cauliflower
Once you have your cauliflower, and you’re ready to start the freezing/preparation process, you need to chop off the base and remove any brown parts. Just put down a cutting board on the counter, stick a long knife between the leaves and the head, and cut the stalk apart. Be careful, sometimes it pops off quickly! Next, we need to wash it off. To do this, use one part vinegar and one part water to gently scrub the head, rubbing off extra leaves or dirt.
Cut and Blanch your Cauliflower
Grab your nearest pot and get started! Image by nkzs
Your beautiful white head of cauliflower is almost ready for the freezer! The next step is cutting up your cauliflower for blanching. Simply use a cutting board, or other knife-safe surface, to chop the head of cauliflower into medium-sized chunks, then, get out a large pot and a steamer tray. Put about 3 inches of water in the bottom of the pot, put the tray in, and wait for it to begin boiling. Once the pot is boiling, dump your cauliflower in, put on a lid, and wait 3 minutes. No more than three minutes, or it’ll be mushy!
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